Mindcare Counselling Blog

Are counseling services readily accepted or are they still looked down upon? I would say definitely it’s still a stigma to seek counseling services and this view has been well validated by research.       Many people who experience psychological and interpersonal concerns never pursue treatment (Corrigan, 2004). According to some estimates, within a given year, only 11% of those experiencing a diagnosable problem seek psychological services. In addition, fewer than 2% of those who struggle with problems that do not meet diagnosable criteria seek treatment (Andrews, Issakidis, & Carter, 2001). In my work as a School Counselor, I observed that over the years, students would come with the pretext of Career Counseling initially and would later divulge their main concern, which almost always diverted the work towards psycho, social and emotional issues. The most often cited reason for why people do not seek counseling and other mental health services is the stigma a...

The middle stage on counseling brings in a shift in the counselor’s focus. As compared to the initial stage where the focus is on the cognitive level of the client’s issues, the middle phase explores more deeper and emotional level of the client’s concerns. This stage is also marked by increased disclosure on the part of the client.  Let’s have a look at sample outline of a middle session: Introduction   – the first 10 minutes ·           Greet the client warmly – smile (and shake hands if hand is extended or is appropriate.) Escort to your office. ·           Offer a chair and a drink of water. Give the client the chance to speak out the things bothering him before you move to information gathering. These concerns may be deceptive – but may be pre-occupying. Or these concerns may form the major part of this session. Explain how this second (third, etc.) visit will progress. That you...

WHO says India A depressed nation? A  World Health Organisation  study claims that  India  has the highest number of depressed people  but the country's leading mental health institution - the  National Institute of Mental Health  and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) - has refuted the findings. According to experts at NIMHANS , WHO's figures could be 'highly inflated' and they see very few severe depression patients. "Most people who come to the tertiary mental health care centre have moderate to mild forms of depression'' is their argument. The WHO-sponsored study concluded that while around 9% of people in India reported having an extended period of depression within their lifetime, nearly 36% suffered from what is called Major Depressive Episode (MDE). But Dr S K Chaturvedi, professor and head of the department of psychiatry, Nimhans, told TOI: "I think the figures in the study are highly inflated. There could be a methodological problem. If th...

A new   study finds that children who experience abuse or adversities in childhood are at a greater risk of having chronic pain related physical problems as adults. The sample for the study included people living in 10 of the 28 countries participating in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys initiative, according to the report. “The team looked at anxiety disorders and depression in children  and at the following childhood adversities: abuse, neglect, loss of a parent through death or other causes, divorce, parental substance abuse, parental criminal behavior, family violence and being poor. Both anxiety and depression in childhood were associated with three chronic pain conditions in adulthood: osteoarthritis, chronic spinal pain (back or neck), and frequent or severe headache.” Physical abuse in childhood was linked to chronic diseases in adulthood such as heart disease, asthma, diabetes, osteoarthritis, chronic spinal pain and headache.

Comprehensive School Counseling explained through an animated video, helpful tool for PTA's .

Counseling usually starts with an introductory session, followed by Information Gathering, Discussion, Conclusion and Homework! Let’s have a look at what goes on in the first session and how to prepare for it. Step 1: Introduction   – the first 10 minutes ·          Start the session with a warm greeting, escort the client to your office. ·          Make the client feel comfortable by offering a chair and a glass of water Usually the clients are not sure what to expect in the first session. So explain to her or him right away what to and not to expect in counseling – briefly. ( Structuring ) Do not make any false promises. Tell the client about your credentials, the forms that will need to be filled out, the assurance of confidentiality, the duration of the visit, etc. Step 2: Information Gathering   – about 20 minutes Start by asking the client, “So what brings you in here today?!” If the perso...

A new study indicates that saying a prayer makes people less angry and aggressive in behaviour A series of studies showed that people who were provoked by insulting comments from a stranger showed less anger and aggression soon afterwards if they prayed for another person in the meantime. A recent study at Ohio State University . Research shows that prayer can help people cope better   with their anger and feel less aggressive towards the aggressor. According to Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University., “The benefits of prayer identified in this study don't rely on divine intervention: they probably occur because the act of praying changed the way people think about a negative situation. He said that people often turn to prayer when they're feeling negative emotions, including anger and they found that prayer really could help people cope with their anger, probably by helping them change how they view...